Omega POV, 3rd Person Omniscient
"So that's what she told me; do you happen to know anything about it, Colette?"
Omega told Colette about what had happened in the east of the forest as they had dinner by the fire. Colette puffed out her cheeks as she listened to her story, sipping from her vegetable soup.
"I did tell you not to go to the eastern side of the forest..." Colette said, a bit irritated.
"Did you? Ah, you did. However I thought that I could help if you were having problems with a Witchbeast, considering that I can deal with most of them. That said, I didn't come across a Witchbeast, but rather a girl with a look so terrible in her eyes, that it almost looked like a Witchbeast's."
"...I think you mean Palmyra's."
Was it actually an honour for said person to be pinpointed merely by the terrible look to their eyes? The boy Omega knew, who had the same terrible look, would definitely complain loudly and say it was disgraceful.
"I rather think there's a charm to it... But, well, the feelings of others are things that can't be inferred by other people no matter where you go, so I suppose it can't be helped." Omega said, completely off-topic that Colette once again, had no idea what she was talking about.
"So, um, what did you talk to Palmyra about?"
"I didn't really manage to have a proper conversation with her... Though, yeah, she told me to not stay long and hurry up and leave the forest if I valued my life." Omega shrugged.
"──hk! That's so...!"
Colette raised her voice in a flash and stood up from where she was sitting. The bowl that had been resting on her lap toppled over, spilling its soup down onto the ground.
"Isn't that boiling hot Colette? We ought to cool it down with some water as soon as possible..."
"That's so... That's so selfish of her! Why would Palmyra do something like that..."
Speaking rapidly, Colette turned her quivering eyes towards Omega.
"Hey, Omega-chan, you're not going to leave, right?"
Colette asked her that, not even paying any heed to how hot the soup was that had spilled onto her lap.
She wasn't lending her ears to the words that girl── Palmyra had said. She only wanted Omega to stay with her. However, that wish couldn't be granted by Omega. Or at least, it's not time yet. Y/N said to let things play out, and Echidna had no intentions of breaking that promise after she agreed.
"I'm glad about how you feel, but I wasn't planning on staying long from the start. My body's in far better shape thanks to these past few days. I'd like to repay you for your kindness, so I'd hope to at least take care of that Witchbeast in the forest, or whatever it is."
"..."
"Colette?"
Omega frowned at the fact she hadn't gotten any sort of response from her, of either affirmation or denial. Then, after she'd called out her name, Colette let out a short sigh and said, "Oh."
"Y-Yeah, right. Yeah, of course. From the beginning, you were just dropping in for a short while, so it's only natural that you'd leave for another journey. It's only natural."
The way she was saying it felt more like she was convincing herself rather than telling Omega. Then, Colette picked up her dishes and cleared them away, still half-eaten.
Omega was lost for what to say to Colette, who had an air of tension about her. Despite that, she flashed Omega a smile as she cleared away her dinner, and said,
"It's alright, Omega-chan. I'm lonely, but not that lonely. So..."
"'Feel free to set out on your journey'? Well, that's what I'm planning on doing, but..."
"Yeah, go for it. That would be great. Definitely, it's for the best."
After she said that, Colette turned her back away from Omega. Her small back looked pitiful, but it wasn't like she could say anything to her, so she kept her silence.
She kept her unforgiving, ruthless silence.
Unable to process what just happened, Omega remembered Y/N's lesson on emotions and telling his contracted to understand it. And so, it was at this moment that Omega knew, she-
"..."
That night, Omega slowly woke up on her bed.
In all honesty, getting up wasn't a strong point of hers. She didn't think this was an issue with her body, but rather one with her soul. When she thought back to it, she'd never been great at getting up, even when she'd had her own body.
She hadn't been aware of it, but perhaps it was down to what they called 'low blood pressure'.
How strange it was that even changing the receptacle of her soul didn't solve her issues with her blood pressure one bit. But now wasn't the time to think about the relation of souls and blood pressure.
"...It's not here."
Her crude bed was just a blanket spread out on the floor. Her blue pyroxene, which should have been near her pillow, was nowhere to be seen. Omega typically wore it as a necklace, with it attached to a string; though naturally she took it off when going to sleep. She remembered doing that tonight before sleeping as well.
"Colette?"
A lick of flame came alight from Omega's raised fingers inside the pitch black cabin. There was no sign of Colette in the bed next to hers, and her cloak, which should have been hanging on the wall, was also nowhere to be seen.
Colette had vanished, and so had her pyroxene. This relationship between cause and effect probably went without saying.
"No way, it's hard to imagine she was out for money."
Omega rubbed her weary eyes and hurriedly put her cloak on, before stepping outside of the cabin.
The forest air at night was chilly, and her misty breaths sapped away the strength from her legs. But she didn't have the option to abandon her pyroxene and go back to bed. ──She couldn't part with it. It was one of her most important things in the world.
As she began to walk, a sound rattled Omega's eardrums── She could hear a howl off in the distance.
The howl had come from deep within the forest. It had been sharp, seeming to reach o'er yonder of the chilly night sky. As soon as Omega heard it, the word "Beast" flashed through her mind.
"Not a Witchbeast, a "Beast", huh."
Omega recalled the state Palmyra had been in when she'd left her those words, and then took another step forward. There was no doubt as to where she was headed. ──The eastern forest.
Omega narrowed her eyes as she entered the clearing she'd visited during the day, with the cemetery within.
The scent of blood filling her nostrils lay thicker compared to what she'd smelled during the day. Probably because of all the fresh blood that had newly been splattered around the graveyard.
"Hmm."
Omega gave a curt nod of her chin as she gazed at the graveyard, which was now dyed in red.
The flesh and blood that was scattered around must have belonged to animals that lived in the forest. At a glimpse, the scene looked gruesome, however none of the flesh and blood there appeared to be human. Could that have been an expression of the "Beast's" conscience?
"Or perhaps it already decided on its first target."
Omega slowly took a look around the graveyard and the cadavers. The light of the moon was obstructed by heavy clouds, and the ground was shrouded in a darkness so still, that it would make anyone want to die.
──Yet the host of fireballs that Omega had conjured cut through the darkness without relent.
They became quite literally lamplights that laid bare the state of the bloodstained surroundings. That, and it was nothing short of an act of despicableness for those who dwelled in the darkness, who held no love for light.
"──ϡ ϡ!"
The "Beast" came flying out from the veil of darkness, letting off a ferocious howl.
It thundered towards Omega at razor-sharp speed and threw its claws at her with tremendous force. She'd surely end up like the flesh and blood scattered around them if she ended up on the receiving end of its attack.
Having said that, Omega didn't have the finesse to dodge these attacks quickly enough. In regards to her physical ability, she was as delicate and frail as a child, just like she looked.
Though, despite being slender, she was still made from different stock than your atypical half-elf, that could break even boulders by hitting them.
"My my, that reminded me of someone I dislike."
Omega's face soured a few moments before its claws stuck into her head, as memories flashed through her mind.
The speed which significant thoughts flash by at was far quicker compared to actually moving her body. There were some theories that stated that the flashbacks that appear on the verge of death were lookup operations which the brain, caved by the risk of death, did, using one's own memories to find a way to escape from the situation at hand.
That's just how overwhelming the speed of her thoughts was. The claws of the "Beast" still hadn't reached Omega, even as she finished with her absurd intrusion of thoughts.
──Thence, a protective wall of earth easily got in the way of her enemy's attack.
"Dona."
She didn't actually need to recite the incantation. If anything, the wall of earth rose up far quicker than the movement of her lips. Even so, she'd still bothered to chant it because she liked to put stuff that happened into words.
The "Beast" was thrown up from underneath by the rising wall of earth, and was blown up into the night sky. Its small shadow spun round and round; however, it quickly kicked out at a nearby tree branch, stopped itself from spinning, and fell back to earth. It skilfully protected its head and back from the fall, landing on the ground on its own four limbs. Not too shabby.
However...
"Didn't I hit you a moment ago using that very same earth?"
There was no way it was going to best her attack with a mere stopgap countermeasure.
Her attack commenced before the "Beast", who had now landed on the ground, made its next move. Once again, the earth writhed, and this time it swallowed the "Beast's" limbs within, pinning it down.
"──ϡ ϡ!?"
With its arms and legs swallowed all the way up to its knees and elbows, it had absolutely nowhere left to place its strength. An earthen stake savagely rose up towards the exposed belly of the pitiful, struggling "Beast", as it lay unable to move.
"──ϡ ϡ"
"Using everything around as tools is where you really get to show off your skills as a mage. Wind, earth, fire, water; all of it under my spell. ──This must be how it feels like to make the world your enemy."
Omega muttered those words out without any real emotion as she unleashed her vicious blow. Receiving it, the "Beast" was struck in its belly. It gulped down a roar of pain, and lifted its face up, baring its fangs.
"──ϡ ϡ"
"Hmm, you still look lively, don't you? Shall we perhaps do two or three more of these?"
Omega closed one of her eyes as she looked at the lively, howling "Beast", and then she pointed her palm at it.
Her earthen stake had punched against its guts, albeit she had rounded its tip before she'd unleashed it, to go easy on it. However, perhaps it'd be easier for her to fire off a sharp one into it. For now, if she had to resort to bloodshed to stop its movements, then...
"...That's enough already!" A sharp voice rang out from behind her, and Omega looked at the girl in surprise.
Omega had tried to stick her palm out and unleash a barrage of attacks on it. However, she was stopped in her tracks.
Reflected in her cold, blue eyes was first the struggling "Beast", whose limbs were caught in the ground, and then the girl who'd stood in front of the "Beast" to protect it── Palmyra.
Large tears were welling up in her round eyes as she glared at Omega.
"What are you doing?" Omega asked, confused at why Palmyra is defending the creature.
"I beg you, enough already! Don't you think there's no need to go any further!?"
"It's up to you if you can't bear to watch, but I cannot help but feel that it would be irresponsible of me to leave this be. I imagine that in the first place, they must have been a bother for you too, right? You must have been shunning the "Beast"." Omega replied, flawless logic in her words.
"No! As if I'd ever think "I want you to kill the Beast!"
Palmyra turned around as tears streamed down her face, disregarding Omega's words with a snarl. Then she wrapped her arms around the shackled "Beast", pulling it into a tight embrace.
"I never wanted to turn Colette into a "Witch". I wanted to help her!"
She desperately shouted that as she continued to embrace the "Beast"── Rather, Colette.
A/N: By the way, I'll release a new bio at the end of every arc, to show Y/N's overall growth.
That way, we don't need 1000 word-long bios at every chapter. :)